Practicum

All students in School Library Studies complete a practicum. In the month prior to your practicum semester, contact Karla Krueger to provide the email you'd like to use to receive the GoogleForm with the Practicum Application and register for SLS 6290 with Continuing Education. The Librarian Evaluation Form above is started by the student, who emails a highlighted copy to the mentor librarian to evaluate the student's experience, and the mentor emails it to the instructor.

All practicum placements will be initiated by the professor through the University of Northern Iowa directly to the school district administrator of the requested practicum site. The professor makes official arrangements with the district administrator prior to a placement. If you have a site request, please list it on the Practicum Application form. The division policy is that the teacher librarian practicum supervisor must have a master’s degree and must be full time in one building where possible. If you have made any informal inquiries, please notify the professor. Requests are not a guarantee of placement.

Two types of practicum experiences

1. There are two types of practicum experiences. If you are enrolled as a full-time student and/or are not working full-time,you will do a regular practicum. This involves 120 hours in both elementary and secondary libraries. It also requires the completion of one special project for the cooperating librarian(s) and a reflective paper.

2. If you are working full-time (i.e. as a teacher, librarian, library aide, etc.) and, thus, cannot complete the first type of practicum experience, you may be eligible for a mentoring practicum. This requires two full days in an elementary library and two full days in a secondary library during which you are involved with the mentoring teacher librarian in instruction. There is also a written paper requirement.